Apprectiating Blemish & Snow Borne Sorrow

[becky]

I always intellectually appreciated the artistic endeavor behind Blemish & Snow Borne Sorrow - but the sheer depth of these albums have only now become really tangible to me as I now traverse the same difficult and painful journey that was the initiating force behind these works. (Betrayal and divorce from a partner I considered my lifelong soul mate). I am now wondering if Sylvian's true genius can only be fully realised and appreciated if you've lived through the experiences Sylvian so beautifully articulates in his work. Just interested to get your thoughts on this forum buddies!

[digimarsh]

One of the beauties of Davids work is the way it can connect with the listner in a very personnel way,almost reaching out
to you. To that end you can relate to it through personnel experience for sure.
In the case of Blemish, it deals with very intense emotional subject matter and it is certainly true that if you find yourself in a similar emotional circumstances that it will probably have a more significant impact.
I have not been through these circumstances myself but when i listen to Blemish ,i find it quite narrative as in a story or tale is being relayed to me and it draws me in to this world being created by it and i find it compelling.
With Snow Bourne Sorrow i find the lyrical more worldly and while there are certainly referances to some of the subjects dealt within Blemish it is not any where near as stark.It is more intellectually engaging though and in a similar way draws you in and keeps you hanging on ever word.

[Adrian]

apart from how Sylvian's music resonates which each listener and his/her own take (through personal experiences) on the material, I find his work intrinsically beautiful and interesting. That is also subjective of course, but probably the nearest to an objective appreciation from me .
I don't get people who don't like Sylvian (including my wife by the way) - absolutely baffled each time I hear that someone doesn't like his work...

[digimarsh]

apart from how Sylvian's music resonates which each listener and his/her own take (through personal experiences) on the material, I find his work intrinsically beautiful and interesting. That is also subjective of course, but probably the nearest to an objective appreciation from me .
I don't get people who don't like Sylvian (including my wife by the way) - absolutely baffled each time I hear that someone doesn't like his work...

I too find it hard to understand why people can't 'get it' when it comes to Davids work( my wife too).
I think it is due to the fact they are not prepared to take the time to really 'listen' to the work and absorb it.
Do you remember the film 'white men can't jump' in which a referance to Jimi Hendrix Wesley Snipes says Woody Harrelson
you can listen to him but you don't hear him, very apt i would say.

[Simonp]

I don't get people who don't like Sylvian (including my wife by the way) - absolutely baffled each time I hear that someone doesn't like his work...

His singing voice and indeed some of his work is an acquired taste. People often say to me upon hearing Sylvian for the first time "god..he sounds depressed". I think the problem is that his work takes time for you to really appreciate it. It took me months before I appreciated how good songs like "before the bullfight" and "wave" were.

[qdes]

apart from how Sylvian's music resonates which each listener and his/her own take (through personal experiences) on the material, I find his work intrinsically beautiful and interesting. That is also subjective of course, but probably the nearest to an objective appreciation from me .
I don't get people who don't like Sylvian (including my wife by the way) - absolutely baffled each time I hear that someone doesn't like his work...

I too find it hard to understand why people can't 'get it' when it comes to Davids work( my wife too).
I think it is due to the fact they are not prepared to take the time to really 'listen' to the work and absorb it.

I don't. You have to remember a lot of people don't really like or feel music that much in the end. Not to mention be willing to make the effort actually _listening_ to it with an open mind. Sylvian takes a lot of time and patience to be appreciated to the fullest.

[Tin Bird]

and let's be honest here..Blemish IS a pretty depressing record. I love it, but would not choose it to indoctrinate someone into the Sylvian fold (well, maybe a fire in the forest). Nine Horses is a different story...while still somewhat downcast in expression, the music is more open and tangible...if I were to play Sylvian to someone for the first time, I would play them Beehive, Dead Bees, and Nine Horses.

[Simonp]

.if I were to play Sylvian to someone for the first time, I would play them Beehive, Dead Bees, and Nine Horses.

I'd play them "Cafe Europa" is i really disliked them...lol

[Adrian]

I've never found his music depressing, quite the opposite I think it's very uplifting - yes even Blemish. What that says about me I don't know...
Also, he is one of the more mainstream artists I listen to - I have an immediate connection with what he does, don't know why.
Oh, by the way, my sister-in-law likes jazz (by which she means Jamie Cullum, Katie Melua and Wouter Hamel...) Ok back on topic guys!

[fletchertronics]

I am now wondering if Sylvian's true genius can only be fully realised and appreciated if you've lived through the experiences Sylvian so beautifully articulates in his work.

Absolutely not. I (thankfully) have never been through a divorce, yet I fully appreciated where his lyrics were coming from upon hearing Blemish for the first time. And indeed I've never struggled to understand or *get* any of his prior output.

I've never found his music depressing, quite the opposite I think it's very uplifting - yes even Blemish. What that says about me I don't know...

Ditto. I personally don't need (or generally want) music to *sound* happy for it to be uplifting... What this says about you Adrian is that you are capable of responding to music beyond its surface aesthetics, and that's a good thing

I've never subscribed to the school of thought that suggests artists must suffer and/or personally experience the content of their creations to make them convincing. This goes for listeners too...

I am a huge fan of film-maker (and painter) David Lynch whose films portray bizarre, surreal people and places, often with nightmarish overtones, yet the man is incredibly jolly, upbeat, and positive. What this tells me is that he has a powerful imagination and a deep well of creativity. As listeners we too have the ability to resonate with creative works regardless of any prior connection with the subject matter.

[digimarsh]

to exlore this concept further, i have written a small poem, from a detached perspective.In the theme of emotional distress
maybe proving fletchertronics theory,


I can't bear my face today,
it gives too many secrets away,
i can hide it so easily,
be alone with my insecurity.

Internal volcano eating away,
feelings of emptiness and dismay,
physically impared by feelings inside,
imprisoned by emotions impossible to hide,

I am losing all sense of reality,
each day seems like eternity,
holding on to a treasured past,
because feelings of comfort are fading fast.

(digimarsh)

[becky]

[digimarsh]

Something to cheer you up, i have written another one ; "hope"


Even in your darkest hour,
remember once again you'll flower,
your wilting spirit and aching heart,
will one day witness a brand new start.

Thoughts of anguish turn to hope,
when you realise you can cope,
inner strength replaces despair,
gone is the frown you used to wear,

Ambition can grow from the deepest malaise,
as you plan for future days,
so now your recovery has begun,
it really is true, life moves on.

(digimarsh)

[missouriman]

"Happy Happy Joy Joy Born A Girl Now A Boy
Had The Op Cut It Out
Told A New One Soon Would Sprout
Happy Happy Joy Joy
Doctors Lied All A Ploy
Manafon and Snow Born Sorrow
Not Buying Them Only Borrow
Happy Happy Joy Joy
Your Poetry Has No Tomorrow
Digimarsh You Need A Pill
And A Shrink Send Me The BIll"

Now THAT is Poetry, my friend!

[proggrl]